Combined license-plate holder and illuminator



Aug. 14, 1923. www@ T. A. MCCREANOR COMBINED LICENSE PLATE HOLDER ND ILLUMINATOR Filed Deo. 30 1921,

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MIIIHIH Patented ttig..l 14, 1923..

haatte v THOMAS AV MCCREANOR, 0F SOUTH MANCHESTER, CONNECTICUT.

COMBINED LICENSE-PLATE HOLDER AND ILLUMINATOR.

Application filed December 30, 1921. Serial No. 525,861.

To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. MGCREA- Non, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sou-th Manchester, in thev county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Combined License-Dlate olders and Illuminators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a new and improved combined license plate holder and illuminator and it is the principal object thereof to provide a neat and attractive mechanism that will display upon a motor vehicle an illuminated registration number Y or other device.

Y A further object of the invention is `to produce a simple and inexpensive device and one that will be exceedingly effective for its designed purpose.

ferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed for the purpose of imparting a full understanding of the same.

In the drawings wherein likev characters of reference indicate like parts in both views,

Figure l is a front elevation of my improved device, a portion thereof being broken away so as to disclose the construction of the interior; and

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken generally upon line 2--2 of Figure 1. Y

In the, practice of my invention I provide a case 10 having outwardly Haring sides 11 which are secured at their corners by the angle iron 12 or the like.

This case is preferably made of metal having reflective qualities or it may be coated interiorly `with a paint or other material that will produce the same result. VThe sides 11 are flaring so as to reflect the light rays outwardly and away from the bottom of the case.

Fixed in the case bottom are a plurality of lamp sockets 13 in each of which is held a lamp 14 by means of a bayonet joint or the like. In the drawings I have shown two hinges 21 and is locked in its closed posi- 'tion by a spring clip 22. The plate 20 is of colored glass, usually red, and its inner face is painted a dark color, except at such places as will leave uncovered portions of the plate in the form of letters, numerals or the like as may be designed to be exposed. In the drawings the letters and numerals -so designedV for exposure being 20-389 Conn-1921. Of course, any other arrangement of letters, numerals or the like may be substituted. Y

As shown, at the right of Figure 1, the end of the plate 20 engages the adjacent wall 11 of the case 10, so as to be held thereby against movement in the cleats, the latter having open ends so that the plate can be slid into the cleats from either end of 'the latter. The left hand end of the case 10 similarly engages the corresponding end of the plate 20.

By means of this device the registration number, etc. is always displayed at night in bold, readily observable numerals and letters.

There are minor changes and alterations that may be made within my invention aside from those herein suggested and I 4would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but claim all that falls fairly within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a combined license plate holder and illuminator, a casing having a back, sides, and fixed ends which latter flare outwardly, a closure member for the front of the casing hinged at a side thereof to the casing and composed of an open frame, engaged with the front edges of the easing, inwardly extending Cleats Carried by the top and bottoni of the frame, a licenselplate in the cleats, lthe license plate being oi such length so that when the f etnie is in closed position the flared ends of the casing will engage the ends of the license plate to hold the latter Y in the cleats, and said cleats having each of their ends open to allow the-license plate to he slid into the elets 'froml the ends of l0 the latter. In ltestimony whereof, I have hereunto aiiixed my'sig'neture.

THOMAS A. MoEANoR. 

